Work at 35 Makati building projects stopped

THE Makati city government has ordered all construction work stopped at 35 high and medium-rise buildings in the city that were found to have violated the National Building Code and the Philippine Mechanical Code.

City Engineer Nelson Morales said they issued the work stoppage orders following the inspections of ongoing construction projects in the city.

The inspections were conducted from January to the second week of February.

“Many of the buildings inspected by our engineers were found not complying with a number of provisions under the national building and mechanical codes. We need to ensure the strict and full compliance of these projects with safety standards specified by the law,” Morales said in his report to Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr.

The 35 buildings ordered to cease construction works are: Eton Belton Place, Senta Tower, Avida Tower I, Mercedes Hotel, Antel Serenity Tower, One Pacific Place, RAM Tower, The Residences at Greenbelt;

Jazz Residence, KL Mosaic, Fairmont & Raffles Residences, Laureano de Trevi, The Oriental Place, Greenbelt Madison, The Columns, Avida Towers, Gramercy Project, Glorietta Redevelopment, Cityland M.E.T., Eton Greenbelt Residence, Mosaic Tower;

The Beacon Tower, Avida Towers San Lorenzo, One Rockwell, Alphaland Makati Place, Discovery Primera, Grand Midori, One Central Project, Edades Tower & Garden Villas, Victoria de Makati, Dohle Building, Stratford, Diamond Residences, Greenbelt Excelsior, and Megawide Construction.

Morales said the stoppage order will be lifted once the developers have corrected the violations and are found to be in full compliance with both the National Building Code and Philippine Mechanical Code.

The violations include the lack of conspicuous warning signs and fans or catch platforms and safety nets to protect pedestrians and motorists from falling objects, lack of safety belts and other protective gear for the workers, poorly maintained mechanical equipment like scaffolds, lack of proper barricades or guardrails alongside floor openings, and lack of a building permit from the City Building Official.

The city engineers intensified its inspection of construction projects in Makati after 10 workers of Eton Residences Greenbelt in Paseo de Roxas Avenue died when the mechanical lift they riding on collapsed.

Police have formally charged with reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicides and serious physical injury five construction officials over the deaths.

They were Eduardo Piñon, project manager Engineer Guillermo Torres, project-in-charge Jason Roselle, safety officer Ian Lester Agpoon, and Engireer Sonny Romero.

Torres, Roselle, and Agpoon are from the Arlo Aluminum Glass Construction Corp., subcontractor of C-E Construction, which is the general contractor of the 39-storey Eton Residences Greenbelt located at the corner of Gallardo Street and Paseo de Roxas Avenue.

Romero is the project officer of Jose Aliling Construction Management Corp., which is also in contract with C-E.

Piñon is from the EM Piñon Construction, which subcontracted the 10 workers to Arlo. –Ferdinand Fabella, Manila Standard Today